The infamous Union Street footbridge was left a mangled pile of metal and concrete as Plymouth marked the dawning of a new era.

Crowds poured in as the central element of the ugly defunct link stretching from Western Approach to the Pavilions was ripped from its joints.

Massive 250-tonne cranes then hoisted the drab structure into the air before rotating and carefully bringing it down onto the road on a bed of heavy duty sleepers so heavy machinery could start ripping it apart.

Workers all around were involved in the complex operation, blasting it with water to stop dust whipping up into the air as diggers and metal crunchers blasted noise in the background.

Nearby, in the former Clipper pub - now a community market - people rocked up in their pyjamas to celebrate the landmark occasion as a new chapter begins in the life of the city centre.

The Union Street footbridge gets hoisted up into the air - to the astonishment of everyone around (Image: Jon Bishop)

The complex operation cranked into gear early yesterday evening and lasted through the early hours as the rest of the city slept.

A 'muncher' chews up the Two Trees as the pub is demolished (Image: Penny Cross)

The area has been identified for housing-led mixed use redevelopment and the city council has been steadily acquiring properties around it, along with funding.

The former Two Trees and Toys R Us sites have also been snapped up by the local authority as it looks to roll out regeneration right across the bottom of town.

The £205m worth of developments driving Plymouth forward

A whopping £205million worth of developments are set to change the face of Plymouth in the next two years – and the Bretonside multiplex is just one of them.

Plymouth City Council said a total of £300million in capital projects are already under construction or in the pipeline.

Mark Brunsdon, head of strategic development projects for Plymouth City Council, outlined eight key schemes when he gave a presentation to about 100 business professionals in the city and said the council was ploughing £205million into infrastructure in a five-year spell.

Here are he schemes that will propel Plymouth forward:

Drake Circus Leisure – completed by Christmas 2019

British Land has started work on a £48million multiplex and restaurant project at Bretonside, with the steel skeleton going up in February and March 2018. It will feature 14 restaurants – including a Wagamama and Zizzi, and possibly a Byron Burger joint – and a 12-screen Cineworld multiplex, including an IMAX screen.

Plymouth Railway Station – work starts in 2019

The council is pumping £5million from its capital budget towards a £40million overhaul of the North Road station site. It envisions the Intercity House office block being refurbished – or even knocked down – and escalators carrying passengers right up to North Cross.

The Box – ready by 2020

Work started on the new history centre, on Tavistock Place, in March 2017 and is continuing at pace. The council is investing £14million into the scheme which will become the city’s cultural centre and hold thousands of artifacts and archives, many of which are not currently on display.

Colin Campbell Court – work starts in 2019

The site is set to be transformed into a mixed use redevelopment with more than 300 homes around Colin Campbell Court, with 25 per cent expected to be starter homes. The plan also includes shops, cafes and studios, with car parking and “attractive public open space”.

Millbay Boulevard – work to start in 2018

Buildings have already starting to be demolished along Bath Street to make way for a “vibrant” mixed-use boulevard. Plymouth City Council is investing £3million into a scheme first suggested by Barcelona architect David Mackay in 2003, when he called for the city to embrace its relationship with the sea once more and reconnect with its waterfront.

Millbay hotel development – work will start in 2019

A planning application for a 155-bedroom Whitbread’s Premier Inn hotel, 55 apartments and retail units will be submitted to planning bosses in February 2018. This will sit on the park site off Brunel Way, a plot known as C1, and the latest phase in the on-going redevelopment of Millbay led by English Cities fund. The new structures will form part of the boulevard, linking the city centre to the waterfront.

Oeansgate – phase one ready in early 2018

The £7.7million first phase of Plymouth’s Oceansgate marine industry hub is nearing completion. And Plymouth City Council, which is developing the Marine Enterprise Zone in Devonport’s former South Yard, is already in talks with firms that may base themselves in the units.

The Range – work begins in early 2018

Plans for a huge £25million Range store and the chain’s new HQ, on a 3.69-hectare site at Seaton Hill, off Tavistock Road, were approved by Plymouth City Council in October 2017. Retail billionaire Chris Dawson said the development will create 570 jobs – including 21st Century digital roles.

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